Supporting trainees

Neuropsychiatrists specialise in the assessment and treatment of people with:

Psychiatric symptoms arising in the context of
recognised neurological disorders such as epilepsy, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Neuropsychiatry is not endorsed as a sub-specialty by the GMC and therefore there is no formal training programme in the UK.

Most consultants in neuropsychiatry posts
have had to devise a plan to meet their own training requirements according to
the resources available to them. In order to assist in this process, the Faculty
is working on both a curriculum and a syllabus to support trainees in
identifying their needs.

A typical path taken by most established neuropsychiatrists
involves training posts in both neurology and psychiatry at CT level, followed
by ST posts in neuropsychiatry (of which there are few) or liaison psychiatry
in which there is a significant neuropsychiatry component e.g. in regional
neuroscience centres.

This may be supplemented by a series of structured special
interest sessions organised through honorary clinical attachment placements
within established neuropsychiatry services and/or by completing an MSc in
Clinical Neuropsychiatry such as those available through Birmingham and Kings.

As neuropsychiatrists we work in one of the most interesting and challenging areas of psychiatric practice. At the interface between neurology and psychiatry, our jobs are varied and our service user base is wide. As a faculty we have opportunities to develop our specialty further, but to do this takes a coordinated effort.

Our mentoring service will provide a single point of contact who will then divert queries to nominated senior mentors throughout the UK - including Northern Ireland. These regional mentors will then use their expertise, knowledge and experience to provide answers to your career development questions.

Our scheme is open to doctors of all grades. Advice can also be given to medical students e.g. around project option placements in neuropsychiatry.

As a new scheme we would appreciate any feedback and a satisfaction questionnaire will be sent to all those who contact us.

In due course we will develop a Facebook page to further widen access to the mentoring scheme.